Extruded connector without channel insulating layer

ABSTRACT

An extruded metal connector that does not require an insulating layer in the channels is disclosed. Further an extruded metal connector that does not require and IPCB is also disclosed. The connector includes a metallic extruded housing having one or more connector channels formed therein during extrusion. The one or more connector channels have first and second ends and channel walls. The connector also includes a singular or plurality of pin guides each with a central aperture and each operatively coupled to a corresponding channel. An intermediate printed circuit board (IPCB) or other such member having one or more spaced apart first electrical contact pins serves to hold the connector pins within the connector channels and away from the channel walls by the IPCB at the first end of the channel. Pin guides arranged at the other ends of the channel support the ends of the contact pins opposite on the opposite end so that the pins remain in the center of each channel and away from the channel walls when no IPCB is used.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS AND PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/321,744, entitled “Hybrid connector system and method,”which patent application is incorporated by reference herein, and whichpatent application has a common inventor, and which patent applicationis a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/040,657, entitled “Electrical connector system and method,” whichpatent application is incorporated by reference herein, and which patentapplication has a common inventor. This patent application is alsorelated to U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,625, issued on Nov. 12, 2002, entitled“Electrical-optical hybrid connector,” which patent is incorporated byreference herein, and which patent has a common inventor. The presentapplication is also related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,792 B1, issued onSep. 4, 2001, and entitled “Extruded metallic electrical connectorassembly and method of producing same,” which patent has a commoninventor, and which patent is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to electrical connectors and inparticular to an extruded metallic electrical connector that does notrequire forming an insulating coating in the extruded channels or anIntermediate Printed Circuit Board (IPCB) in every application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electrical connectors are used in many different types of electrical andelectronic systems. They come in various sizes depending on the physicaland electrical parameters of the installation. Some high-speed digitalsignal applications require multiple contact connectors in a singlerectangular module that are held together and are stackable withoutdistorting or adversely modifying the signal integrity. Digital signalsmust have a high degree of signal integrity on entering and exiting anelectrical connector system. Requirements for connector types, inincreasingly high-speed applications include a high degree of shielding,preventing signal distortion from outside Electromagnetic Interference(EMI), and low inductance and resistance for signal and return signalpaths.

Rectangular connectors with multiple contacts are two millimeter (2 mm)or less in center spacing have limits in contact density and signalshielding by currently employed manufacturing processes. However,electronic systems that use high-speed connectors continue to shrink inphysical size and require increasing signal density, which requiresreducing the physical size requirements for connectors. Presentrectangular connectors having a plurality of contacts have limits inproviding dense signal packaging and shielding of each individualcontact within the connector-housing module. This is because the typicalcontact is not shielded along the contact length as in classical coaxialconnectors.

Although classical round coaxial connectors have contiguous shieldingalong their contact length and provide low inductance and good signalintegrity, they do not offer a large number of contacts, particularlyfor densities of 2 mm on-center or less in a rectangular configuration.In round coaxial connections, multiple contiguous contacts cannot bedensely packed or stacked in a module form to densities attainable in arectangular configuration and still have each signal contact surroundedwithin a metal enclosure along the length of the contact. Rectangularconnectors for high-speed digital signal applications that employ aplurality of contacts with 2 mm on-center or less spacing use acombination of injection molded plastics and metal. In particular, theplastic parts are either riveted or press-fitted to metal plates tosimulate shielding, to form signal impedance matching, and to reduceinductance and resistance in order to improve signal integrity. However,these connector systems, while providing greater contact densities thanround coaxial connectors, do not provide a contiguous metal cavity alongthe length of each individual contact. Instead, only one or two sides ofeach individual contact has a shield.

Presently, most high-density connectors are either electrical oroptical. Some fiber optic interfaces occur at the printed circuit boardlevel and are designed to convert the electrical signal to light(optical) signals. These interfaces typically include one or more smallelectrical-to-optical devices, such as vertical cavity surface emittinglasers (VCSELs). These devices, along with some signal-conditioningelectronics (e.g, a bias-T) are adapted to receive electrical high-speedsignals and convert them into high-speed modulated light signals. Howver, tere are signal density issues with the present state-of-the artconnectors. Accordingly, there is a need for a truly hybrid connector,i.e., a connector that can provide connectivity for a variety ofdifferent types of electrical signals, or electrical and opticalsignals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the novel extruded metallic connectorassembly of the type that can be connected to an electrical cable;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 1—1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a frontal elevational view of the connector assembly formounting a mating receptacle;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of stacked individual connectorassemblies and mated view of connector assemblies for mounting to anelectrical cable;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6—6 of FIG. 5, showingthe underside mounted to a mating connector receptacle;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector assembly mountedto a motherboard above the receptacle;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the connector assembly showing the groundcontact tension points;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of FIG. 8, showing the connector assembly formounting to an electrical cable and the planar location of the groundtension contact points;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of the novel method of producing an extrudedmetallic electrical connector assembly;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the intermediate printed circuitboard (IPCB) and contact point assembly terminated to an electricalcable;

FIG. 12 is a perspective exploded view of the hybrid electrical-opticalconnector of the present invention similar to FIG. 11, but furtherincluding optical fibers and VCSELs attached to the IPCB;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the hybrid connector of the presentinvention as shown in FIG. 12, as used to connect two remote circuits;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the connector cooling system FIG. 1S is a planview of the connector cooling system of the present invention shownconnected to a fluid source via cooling lines;

FIG. 16 is a perspective exploded view of the hybrid connector of thepresent invention that includes a direct optical fiber link;

FIG. 17 is a perspective exploded view of the hybrid connector of thepresent invention that includes a direct RF link;

FIG. 18 is a perspective exploded view of the hybrid connector of thepresent invention that includes an RF wireless link;

FIG. 19 is a perspective exploded view of the hybrid connector of thepresent invention illustrating an example embodiment of anelectrical-optical system that includes a wireless RF link, direct RFlink, direct fiber optic link, direct electrical digital link, and anindirect optical link through a VCSEL connected to an optical fiber;

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of an example embodiment of anelectrical connector according to the present invention that includespin guides and that does not require an insulating layer in theconnector channels;

FIG. 21 is cross-sectional view of a connector module that includes aplurality of the connector assemblies of FIG. 20 along with a receptaclethat has an array of contact pins;

FIG. 22A is a perspective diagram of an example embodiment of a metallicextruded housing having a single channel with an insulating layer; and

FIG. 22B is a perspective diagram of an example embodiment of a metallicextruded housing having a single channel without an insulating layer

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to electrical connectors, and inparticular, includes an extruded metallic electrical connector assemblyhaving an extruded metallic housing with channels that do not require aninsulating layer and/or an IPCB.

As shown in the Figures, the extruded electrical connector assembly 10(FIG. 1) provides a four-sided metal enclosure along the length ofindividual contacts, for high-density low-inductance, resistance andgood signal integrity. This means and method of shielding eachindividual contact along the contact's length by the connector housing11 (FIG. 4) contiguously extruded from metal to form individual channels12, 12 a, 12 b, 12 c and 12 d (FIG. 3) to house each contact providingmultiple cavities. As shown in FIG. 7, the connector assembly isattached to a motherboard, thereby eliminating the need for an IPCB aspart of the embodiment.

In an example embodiment, the contacts are on centers of 2 mm or less.In an example embodiment, the interior of the channels are insulatedfrom an inserted electrical contact by coating the channel interiorswith an insulating layer having good dielectric properties for thesignal transmission and contact insulation. In an example embodiment,the channels are rectangular. Generally, the channels can have anycross-sectional shape that can be formed by the extrusion process. In anexample embodiment, the connector or stack of connectors do/does nothave an IPCB and is/are mounted directly to a mother board.

Contact pins 13–13 d are inserted into channels 12–12 d (also referredto herein as “cavities”), guided by mating guides 18–18 d. The latterare positioned at the mating end of housing 11 opposite the end where aintermediate printed circuit board (IPCB) 14 is connected. The matingguides are inserted into the housing by a press-fit, by a weld, or anadhesive (see FIGS. 1, 3 and 11). IPCB 14 (FIG. 6) includes solder tails19, 19 a, 19 b, 19 c and 19 d or a board press-fit 20 a, 20 b, 20 c and20 d that allow a cable or another printed circuit board to be attachedto IPCB 14 (FIG. 7). Contact pins 13–13 d are directly mounted to IPCB14 making up part of the connector assembly 10 for termination to anelectrical cable assembly. Alternatively, IPCB 14 can be terminated to aprinted circuit board (motherboard) 21 for the connector assembly tomate to a printed circuit board connector (receptacle) 22 (FIG. 7). TheIPCB 14 can have circuit board traces that route signals through soldertails 19, 19 a, 19 b, 19 c and 19 d to the connector contacts in thehousing module.

The other mating half (i.e., the receptacle) 22 of the connector acceptsthe extruded housing 11 in a single or stackable modular configuration15 having the same center spacing (FIG. 5). In an example embodiment,the center spacing is two mm on-center or less. Each half of matingconnector 22 has a contact pin 23 through 23 d. The contact pins of eachhalf make contact in a tuning-fork fashion (displacing each pin 13–13 dalong its length thus making electrical contact). The contact of themating connector pins is made inside the extruded connector-housingmodule 11. Thus, the enclosed mating contact pins reside inside theconnector-housing cavity providing a four-sided metal enclosure alongthe length of the mating pins. Traditionally, connector housings areoften injection molded from plastics and fit with a metal shield ormetal stiffeners in an attempt to achieve a partially shieldedenclosure.

The extruded housing 11, however, provides a four-sided metal enclosurefor each contact along the length of the contact. Housing 11 (alsoreferred to herein as “contiguous metal shield”) is grounded through theintermediate printed circuit board 14 using contact tension points 16and 16 a. In this manner, shielded contact density is higher in theextruded module for each individual contacts then the previous patents.

For example, in prior art rectangular housing modules, the signaldensity is limited by the spacing between adjacent contacts, which aresurrounded by an injection-molded material in the multiple connectormodules. The prior art makes some adjustment for the shield limitationby optionally grounding adjacent pins (e.g., this would be accomplishedin the present invention by alternately grounding pins 13 through 13 d)between the signal pins. In this manner, each signal pin may have anadjacent ground pin. In addition, certain prior art has one outside faceon two sides of each module shielded by attaching a metal plate, versusthe four sides of the present invention. The insulation between contactsin the prior art is typically injection-molded material. Thus, thesignal or ground pins do not have a contiguous metal enclosure on allfour sides.

In the prior art the shielded signal density tends to be limited by theneed for adjacent ground pins or the mechanical construction of eachconnector module. This is also true when the mating halves of theconnectors are joined. Thus, the signal density (i.e., the number ofsignal pins divided by the total number of signal and ground pins) in afive-row connector with the extreme outside pins and middle pin forminga ground shield for the signal contacts, there are only two signalremaining signal contact pins. Furthermore, there is limited contactshielding in the connector module. In the prior art, each individualcontact does not have a rectangular metal enclosure. Rather, the entireconnector module contains a plurality of contacts and metal platescovering three sides of the outside housing. The extruded connectorhousing module 11 provides channels 12 through 12 d that enclose each ofthe example of individual metal contacts 13 through 13 d in a contiguousmetal shield 11 along the length of each contact.

The method 30 of producing an extruded metallic electrical connectorassembly (steps 31–37 of FIG. 10) according to the present inventioncomprises the steps of extruding a continuous metal housing having aplurality of channels 12 positioned therein (step 31); cutting thehousing to the desired length (step 32); coating the inside of thechannels of the metal housing with an insulation material (step 33);installing the mating guides (step 34); installing the printed circuitboard into said housing (step 35); terminating electrical cable to theIPCB assembly used in cable assembly operation or IPCB fitted with wiremounting for motherboard installation (step 36); and electricallyconnecting (e.g., by welding) the assembly to the housing (step 37) toform a cable assembly thereby forming a cable assembly or wire mountingto motherboard 21.

Electrical-Optical Hybrid Connector

The present invention also includes a novel hybrid concept of using theextruded metal housing and connecting same to an IPCB to facilitate bothoptical and electrical signal transmission. This is accomplished bymaking the connector have a hybrid configuration that permits the outputof the connector at the intermediate printed circuit board to be a mixof optical and electrical transmission.

Accordingly, with reference now to FIG. 12, there is shown an explodedview of the hybrid connector assembly 700 of the present invention.Hybrid connector 700 includes extruded metal connector housing 11, withchannels 12–12 d formed therein during extrusion, as described above.Connector 700 also includes IPCB 14 with a planar surface 704, whichincludes electrical contact pins 13–13 d, and connector tension points16 and 16 a coupled to one end of the IPCB, also as described above.IPCB 14 also includes solder tails 19 (e.g., printed circuit board LAN),also described above, that connect contact pins 13–13 d to one of eitherelectrical cable (wire) 40 or one or more vertical cavity surfaceemitting lasers (VCSELs) 720 arranged on planar surface 704.

As is known in the art, a VCSEL is a device that takes a modulatedelectrical signal and converts it to a correspondingly modulated optical(laser) signal, or vice versa. Suitable VCSELs for the present inventionare available, for example as part numbers ic-jwb 2.7 and ic-wk(laser-diode drivers) from IC Haus Corp., Sanford, Mich.(info@laserdriver.com), or from the Optical Interconnect DevelopmentAssociation, Washington, D.C., (Rockwell Science Center) model rsc110(laser driver 2.5–10 Gbps), or from W.L. Gore, Wilmington, Del. (VCSELlaser driver). Information about VCSELs can be found in a paper entitled“design of 2.5 Gbit/s GaAs laser driver with integrated APC for opticalfiber communications,” by Guillaume Fortin and Bozena Kaminska.

With continuing reference to FIG. 12, each VCSEL 720 receives a positivevoltage and ground provided through dedicated contact pins (e.g. one ofcontact pins 13–13 d and one of connection tension points 16) throughconductive housing 11. One or more optical fibers (e.g., fiber cables)730 are connected to IPCB 14 so as to be optically coupled tocorresponding VCSELs 720, analogous to electrical wires 40 beingelectrically coupled to corresponding solder tails 19–19 d. Opticalfibers 730 may be single mode or multiple-mode, depending on theapplication.

In one mode of operation, an electrical signal enters assembly 700through, say, pin 13 a as shown. The electrical signal then travelsthrough the associated solder tail 19 a and into the corresponding VCSEL720. The VCSEL converts the electrical signal into a correspondingoptical signal, which is then passed to optical fiber 730. Assembly 700can be used to go from optical to electrical signals (i.e., from driverto receiver) by reversing the VCSEL to operate as a laser receiver.Thus, hybrid connector assembly 700 allows for connection of bothelectrical and optical high-speed digital signals in a parallelconfiguration.

With reference to FIG. 13, an advantage of assembly 700 is connecting todifferent remote circuits 800 (e.g., back planes, mother boards,distribution panels, etc.) through assembly 700 with both optical fibers730 and electrical wires 40 to one remote circuit, while electricallyconnecting to another remote circuit via one of a number of electricalconnections 780 (e.g., vias on printed circuit boards, wires, etc.).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention as illustrated inFIG. 13, the longer interconnections to remote circuit 780 can beaccommodated by optical fiber (thereby ensuring signal integrity), whilethe shorter interconnections can be accommodated by more cost-effectiveelectrical cable through electrical interconnects while still ensuringsignal integrity. Thus, both electrical and optical high-speedconnections can be provided in the single connector of the presentinvention.

Electrical Impedance-Matched Connector

With reference again to FIG. 12, channels 12, 12 a, 12 b, etc. ofhousing 11 can be sized (i.e., cross-sectional area) to achieve adesired impedance when mated with a contact (e.g., contacts 13, 13 a, 13b, etc.) of a particular size. In an example embodiment of the presentinvention, contacts 13, 13 a, 13 b, etc. are capable of carrying anelectrical signal having a discrete signal format, while in anotherembodiment the contacts can carry an electrical signal having adifferential format used for logic in high-speed signal transmission.Further, the cross-sectional area of the contacts can be sized relativeto the channel to achieve a desired connector impedance. This is becausethe connector impedance is determined by the relative cross-sectionalarea of the outer conductor (i.e., channel 12) to the cross-sectionalarea of the contact (e.g., 13), and the spacing between the conductivesurfaces. For example, as discussed above, IEC specifications call for atwo-millimeter (2 mm) on-center channels 12–12 d.

In an example embodiment of the invention, the contact has across-sectional area such that it yields an impedance value of betweenabout 45 and 60 ohms. However, the present invention is not limited bythe IEC specifications. Accordingly, the connector impedance for avariety of different sized connectors can be matched set by selectingthe ratio of the cross-sectional area of the channels to that of thecontacts. This allows connector assembly 10 to provide the highest levelof signal integrity by matching the impedance of the signal passing frompins 23, 23 a, 23 b, etc. to contacts 13, 13 a, 13 b, etc. (FIG. 7).

Further, the connector of the present invention is capable of passing avery high digital signal speed. The speed of a connector can be measuredin gigabits per second, which is the frequency bandpass of a connector(measured in GHz) times 2. A typical high-speed electrical connector hasa limited signal speed due to electrical and mechanical properties toapproach and surpass 1 gigabit/second. The connector of the presentinvention is capable of passing signals at much higher speedsapproaching 10 gigabits/second, a ten-fold increase over typicalconnectors.

The connector of the present invention should find utility over a widerange of high-speed communication applications. For example, the IEEEstandard for the 1 gigabit/second Ethernet interconnect can beaccomplished using either copper wires or optical fibers. However, thenew IEEE 10 gigabit/second Ethernet standard is considering more costlyoptical fibers only, recognizing the perceived limitation of copperwires. Thus the embodiment provides a choice between interconnectshaving more cost-effective copper versus fiber in a hybridconfiguration.

Connector Cooling Channel and System

In electrical-optical (hybrid) assembly 700, electrical power may bedissipated by Joule heating caused by VSCEL 720 or by the power supplyand connections (e.g., resistive heating of the connecting wires).Further, in both electrical connector assembly and hybrid assembly 700,Joule heating of the assembly may arise where one or more contacts 13,13 a, 13 b, etc. are dedicated to carrying electrical power. Thus, itmay be desirable to cool the assembly to reduce the risk of overheatingelements of the assemblies, e.g., VCSEL 720, IPCB 14, or cable assembly40.

With reference to FIG. 14, in the present invention, extruded housing 11has contiguous metal channels 12 formed by extrusion. As such, channels12 are sealable with respect to fluid (e.g., gas or liquid). Thus, oneor more of the connector channels 12, 12 a, 12 b, etc. can serve ascooling channels is they are kept open (i.e., free from one or more ofelectrical contact pins 13, 13 a, 13 b, etc.). In previous art, themechanical constraints do permit sealing. Accordingly, in place of oneor more of solder tails 19, 19 a, 19 b, etc. and the corresponding oneor more of contacts 13, 13 a, 13 b, etc., one or more fluid channels 902for carrying a fluid and is provided, as shown FIG. 14. Each fluidchannel 902 has a first end 903 and a second end 904, wherein end 904 issized to mate or otherwise connect with the corresponding one or more ofchannels 12, 12 a, 12 b, etc. An example material for fluid channel 902is a plastic or polymer. Example fluids are inert gas, air, glycol,glycerin and water. The cooling fluid makes contact with housing 11 andremoves the heat from the housing via heat conduction.

Also included is one or more fluid channels 910 that replace one or moremating contact pins 23, 23 a, 23 b, etc. (see FIG. 7) that reside uponthe other half (i.e., plug-half) 22 of the connector receptacle. Eachfluid channel 910 has a first end 911 and a second end 912. End 912 issized to mate or otherwise connect with the corresponding one or more ofchannels 12, 12 a, 12 b, etc. (e.g., channels 12 a and 12 c as shown inFIG. 14 at end 904) designated as cooling channels, at the end wheremating contact pins are normally inserted. In an example embodiment,fluid channels 910 are the same as fluid channels 902.

Connected to each of the one or more fluid channels 902 at ends 903 is afluid line 920, and connected to each of the one or more fluid channels910 at end 912 is a fluid line 930 connected through end 904. Each offluid lines 920 and 930 are connected to a fluid source 940 (FIG. 15)that flows the fluid through the fluid lines 920 and 930, fluid channels902 and 910 and one or more of channels 12, 12 a, 12 b, etc., that aredesignated as cooling channels (FIG. 15). In FIGS. 14 and 15, channels12 a and 12 c are designated as cooling channels to illustrate anexample embodiment.

In an example embodiment, fluid lines 920 and/or 930 are single fluidlines that have branches connecting to each of the designated fluidchannels, as illustrated in FIG. 15. In another example embodiment,fluid channels 902 and/or 910 have a circular in cross-section exceptfor the ends that mate to the rectangular connector channels. Further inan example embodiment, the channels 12, 12 a, 12 b, etc. dedicated tocooling need not have an insulating layer formed therein, though it maybe preferable to keep the insulating layer in the channel to preventcorrosion of housing 11.

Hybrid Connector with Direct Fiber Optic Link

With reference now to FIG. 16, there is shown an exploded perspectivediagram of an example embodiment of a hybrid connector 1000. Hybridconnector 1000 is similar to connector 700 of FIG. 12, except that atleast one of the contact pins (e.g., 13 b) is removed and replaced witha corresponding number of optical fibers 1010 having a first end 1012and a second end 1013. Only one optical fiber 1010 is shown in FIG. 12for the sake of illustration. Hereinafter, the term “contact member” isused to refer to a contact pin (e.g., pin 13 a), an optical fiber suchas optical fiber 1010, or any other element, including those introducedand discussed below, capable of transmitting an electrical or opticalsignal so as to establish an electrical or optical connection, e.g.,between electrical or optical devices.

Further, the presence of VCSEL 720 and optical fiber 730 in hybridconnector 1000 is optional.

Optical fiber 1010 is attached to IPCB 14, e.g. by fitting the opticalfiber into a slot 1014, or by fixing the fiber to the IPCB using anadhesive. In an example embodiment, the portion 1016 of optical fiber1010 that extends into (i.e., mates with) housing channel 12 b has alength substantially equal to pins 13 a, 13 c, 13 d so that opticalfiber first end 1012 terminates at substantially the same distance fromthe IPCB as the pins.

In an example embodiment, at least one of the solder tails (e.g., 19 b)corresponding to a removed pin is removed as well. Optical fiber 1010 issized to fit into the corresponding channel (e.g., channel 12 b) ofextruded metal housing 11. This allows the connector to provide a direct(i.e., passive) optical link to an optical device (e.g., device 1370,FIG. 19), i.e., the connector does not convert an electrical signal toan optical signal within the connector itself, or otherwise change thetype of signal that enters the connector.

Hybrid connector 1000 has the advantage of providing a high degree ofsignal integrity. It is known in the art that for transmittinghigh-speed digital signals over the short haul (e.g., 10 meters orless), it is generally more cost-effective to use copper interconnects.It is also known in the art that over the long haul (e.g., over 10meters and up to many kilometers), high-speed digital signal integrityis better maintained using direct fiber optic interfaces. However, priorart connectors do not provide both types of connections in a singleconnector with a high signal integrity and high signal density. On theother hand, hybrid connector 1000 provides the capability of providingboth short-haul and long-haul transmission of high-speed digital signalsin a signal connector. This aspect of the invention is discussed furtherbelow in connection with the system of FIG. 19.

Hybrid connector 1000 also has the advantage that it provides a highersignal density when compared to connectors that conform to the presentcommercial specifications, such as the IEC standard for the 2 mmon-center connector that permits both electrical and optical connectionsin a single connector. The hybrid connector of the present inventionachieves a high signal density by using the extruded multichannelhousing—and specifically, a small spacing between the channels—to definethe density of the electrical and optical interconnections. Under theIEC standard, the optical interconnection is accomplished by standardfiber optic connectors, which have a large connection interface, e.g.,about 5 millimeters in diameter, which is almost the width of three 2 mmon-center channels 12–12 d of extruded housing 11.

By optionally including VCSEL 720 and optical fiber 730 in hybridconnector 1000, the connector has the additional capability of providinga connection via an indirect optical signal, wherein the signal startsin the connector as an electrical signal and is converted to an opticalsignal within the connector via VCSEL 720 on IPCB 14.

Hybrid Connector with Direct RF Link

With reference now to FIG. 17, there is shown an exploded perspectivediagram of an example embodiment of a hybrid connector 1100. Hybridconnector 1100 is similar to connector 700 of FIG. 12, except that oneor more of the connector pins (e.g., pin 13 b), which are capable ofproviding digital and analog signal transmission, is replaced with acorresponding one or more contact members in the form of RF pins 1110each having an end 1112 and capable of providing RF signal transmission.Further, the presence of VCSEL 720 and optical fiber 730 is optional. Inan example embodiment, at least one of the solder tails (e.g., 19 b)corresponding to the removed pins is removed as well, as RF pins 1110extend beyond the remaining pins, e.g. pins 13A, 13 c, 13 d, and outbeyond the edge 14E of the IPCB 14. RF pin 1110 is sized to fit into thecorresponding channel (e.g., channel 12 b) of extruded metal housing 11.

Accurate electrical impedance is maintained for RF pin 1110 over a widerange of RF frequencies (e.g., from megahertz to gigahertz) by virtue ofthe air gap between the insulated walls of the housing channels and theRF pin. The size of the channels can be selected to achieve a desiredair gap and thus a desired impedance value.

An advantage of hybrid connector 1100 is that both high-speed electricaldigital signals and RF signals can be transmitted in a single connector.This allows for a high signal density as compared to using individualstandard high-frequency connectors, such as SMAs or end-styleconnectors. The higher signal density is achieved, in part by therectangular shape of the housing and the multiple channels formedtherein, as compared to a round connector with a single channel formedtherein.

By including VCSEL 720 and optical fiber 730 in connector 1100, theconnector has the additional capability of providing an indirect opticalsignal, as described above.

Hybrid Connector with RF Wireless Link

With reference now to FIG. 18, there is shown an exploded perspectivediagram of an example embodiment of a hybrid connector 1200. Hybridconnector 1200 is similar to connector 1100 of FIG. 12, except that theRF pin 1120 is terminated at an RF transmitter 1220 mounted on IPCB 14.The presence of VCSEL 720 and optical fiber 730 is optional. RFtransmitter 1220 includes an RF antenna 1222. RF antenna 1222 is capableof emitting RF radiation 1230 to accomplish, for example, the wirelesstransmission of information to a remote RF device 1236.

An advantage of hybrid connector 1200 over conventional connectors isthat it can provide both high-speed digital signals and RF wirelesssignals through in a single connector. This allows for a high signaldensity as compared to using individual standard high-frequencyconnectors, such as SMAs or end-style connectors. The higher signaldensity is achieved, in part by the rectangular shape of the housing andthe multiple channels formed therein, as compared to a round connectorwith a single channel formed therein.

By including VCSEL 720 and optical fiber 730, hybrid connector 1000 hasthe additional capability of providing an indirect optical signal, asdescribed above.

Hybrid Interconnect System

With reference now to FIG. 19, there is shown a schematic diagram of ahybrid interconnect system 1300 that employs a hybrid connector 1310that represents any one of hybrid connector example embodiments 1000,1100 and 1200 described above.

In an example embodiment, system 1300 includes a backplane 1320, such asserver panel or telecommunications switching panel, for example.Backplane 1320 provides electrical and/or optical signals, schematicallyillustrated as signal 1322. Backplane 1320 is operatively connected tohybrid connector 1310 at channels 12–12 d (FIG. 12) via the connectingmembers residing therein. For example, backplane 1320 includesconnecting members (schematically illustrated by connection 1324), suchas RF contact pins, analog contact pins, high-speed digital contactpins, and/or optical fiber ends, that mate or otherwise interface withcorresponding pins and optical fiber ends of hybrid connector 1310 (pins13 a, 13 c, 13 d and end of optical fiber 1030; FIG. 16).

In another example embodiment, system 1300 also includes an opticaldevice 1330, such as a fiber optic distribution panel, capable oftransmitting and/or receiving an optical signal 1332. Optical device1330 is operatively connected to hybrid connector 1310 via an opticalfiber 1334 that passes through one of the connector channels to form adirect fiber optic interconnection with backplane 1320.

In a further example embodiment, system 1300 also includes an electricaldevice 1340, such as an electronic printed circuit board, capable oftransmitting and/or receiving an electrical signal 1342, such as ananalog or high-speed digital electrical signal. Electrical device 1340is operatively connected to hybrid connector 1310 via a wire 1344, whichis connected to one of solder tails 19–19 d (see, e.g., FIGS. 12 and17).

In another example embodiment, system 1300 also includes an RFelectrical device 1350, such as an RF switching network, capable oftransmitting and/or receiving an RF electrical signal 1352. RFelectrical device 1350 is operatively connected to hybrid connector 1310via an RF wire 1354, which is connected to one of solder tails 19–19 d(see, e.g., FIG. 9 or 12).

In another example embodiment, system 1300 also includes a remote RFelectrical device 1360, such as a computer monitor, capable oftransmitting and/or receiving RF wireless signals 1362. Remote RFelectrical device 1360 is operatively coupled to hybrid connector 1310via RF wireless signals 1362. In particular, RF wireless signals 1362are transmitted and received by RF transmitter 1220.

In another example embodiment, system 1300 also includes an opticaldevice 1370, such as electro-optical transmitter, capable oftransmitting and/or receiving an optical signal 1372. Optical device1370 is coupled to VCSEL 720 via an optical fiber 1374.

In an example embodiment of the operation of system 1300 of FIG. 19,backplane 1320 distributes, via hybrid connector 1310, electricalsignals, optical signals, RF signals, or a combination thereof(collectively represented by signal 1322) to one or more of thecorresponding devices, i.e., optical devices 1330 and 1370, remote RFelectrical device 1360, RF electrical device 1350, electrical device1340 and fiber optic device 1330. Example embodiments of system 1300thus include two or more of any of the aforementioned devices, which areshown together in FIG. 19 for the sake of reference.

System 1300 thus provides for the transmission of different types ofsignals (e.g., electrical and optical, or RF electrical, high-speeddigital signals and analog electrical signals) emitted from a backplaneto a number of different devices. The type of contact members providedin hybrid connector 1310 depends on the nature of signals provided viabackplane 1320.

Extruded Connector without Channel Insulating Layer

The inventor of the present invention has discovered a way to avoidhaving to provide the channels of the extruded housing with aninsulating layer and use the air existing in the channel to provide theneeded electrical insulation. This is illustrated in FIG. 20, which isan exploded perspective view of an example embodiment of the electricalconnector assembly 10 that does not have an insulator layer in channels12, 12 a, 12 b, 12 c and 12 d. Also illustrated in FIG. 20 is (female)contact ground pin 13 b that fits into channel 12 b and connects to IPCB14 at a ground contact 13 g between pins 13 a and 13 b.

The connector assembly 10 of FIG. 20 includes mating pin guides 18, 18a, 18 b, 18 c and 18 d. In an example embodiment, these pin guides forma mating pin guide assembly 1400, which in an example embodiment is aunitary structure. Recall, mating pin guides 18, 1 a, 118 b, etc., arepositioned at the mating end of housing 11 opposite the end where theIPCB 14 is connected, as discussed above in connection with FIGS. 1–4.In an example embodiment, the mating pin guides are sized to fit intorespective ends of the channels.

In an example embodiment, pin guide assembly 1400 is an insulatingunitary member (e.g., molded plastic) and is fixed to the aforementionedend housing 11. Each pin guide includes a corresponding central opening1410, 1410 a, 1410 c and 1410 d centered on the channel axis and sizedto accommodate (second) contact pins 23, 23 a, 23 b, 23 c and 23 d (FIG.21). In an example embodiment, pin guide assembly 1400 also includes anaperture 1410 b that allows for electrical contact to be mademechanically to housing 11 by the grounding pin 13 b. The matingcontacts 23 make electrical contact with (e.g., matingly engage) therespective ends of the (first) contact pins 13, 13 a, 13 c and 13 d whenboth sets of contact pins are inserted into the channels at theircorresponding channel ends.

At the end of the channels 12, 12 a, 12 c and 12 d adjacent IPCB 14,corresponding first contact pins 13, 13 a, 13 c and 13 d are supportedand isolated within the channels (i.e., away from the channel walls) bythe IPCB. At the opposite end of the channels, the ends of contact pins13, 13 a, 13 c and 13 d contact respective mating guides 18, 18 a 18 cand 18 d, which hold the contact pins within the center of the channelsand away from the channel walls. This allows for the air in each channelto act as an insulating medium for each contact pin, obviating the needto provide an insulating coating to the interior of the channels, asdiscussed above in connection with the flow diagram of FIG. 10. The airinsulation and the support of the pins at one end by the IPCB and at theopposite ends by the mating guide assembly prevents the shorting ofsignals carried on the contact pins to the extruded metal housing 11.The use of an air insulator in the channels also serves to improvesignal performance.

With continuing reference to FIG. 20, ground contact 13 b ismechanically supported within a channel (i.e., channel 12 b) and is incontact with the channel walls to provide signal integrity advantageswhen placed in an adjacent channel to a signal channel, i.e., a channelthat includes a contact pin 13 a. The insulated coating of channels 12would prohibit grounding of pin 13 b adjacent to signal pins withoutincurring added manufacturing costs to strip the insulation out of thechannels 12. Eliminating the insulated coating permits placing a contactpin (illustrated in FIG. 20 as pin 13 b) in mechanical contact with theassociated channel (e.g., 12 b in FIG. 20) via grounding contact 13 g onIPCB 14. Note that the associated grounding pin to ground contact 13 bis contact (or in this case, “grounding”) pin 23 b. The application ofthe grounding pins is significant for differential mode signals andsingle mode signals when the distance of the signal return path iscrucial for good signal integrity.

Thus, the grounding pin(s) improve(s) signal performance by electricallyshortening the signal return path using an adjacent pin, as opposed torouting the signal return path through ICPB 14 or to housing 11 throughcontact tension points 16 (see FIG. 8). The above is an illustrativeexample of using pin 13 b for selectively shorting to housing 11 to anadjacent signal pin 13 a and/or 13 c, and improving signal integrity byshortening the ground or signal return path. In practice, any number ofsignal pins may have adjacent pins shorted or grounded within housing11. In this regard, if a signal pin 13 was designated with an ‘s’ forsignal, and a adjacent ground or return pin was designated with a ‘g’for ground, a pattern can be configured within the connector embodimentof s,g,s,g or s,s,g,s,s,g, or any combination depending on theapplication, as is customarily done by those skilled in the art. Ineliminating the insulating coating on the interior walls of one or moreof the housing channels, improvements in signal integrity and cost arerecognized.

In an example embodiment, electrical connector 10 includes one or morechannels that have an insulating coating. This arrangement that includesan insulating coating is desirable, for example, when the connector pin(13) size is relatively large, or when the current or voltagerequirements of select pins are large. In these and other suchcircumstances, the air insulation alone may not be sufficient to preventshorting of signal-designated pins 13 to extruded housing 11 via thewalls of the housing channels.

An example embodiment shown in FIG. 7, wherein the connector orconnector module is mounted directly to a motherboard or daughter board.In this example, the IPCB is not required, which has the advantage ofsaving material cost and labor. The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 hascontact pins 13 through 13 d held in place by a pin guide at the distalend, and a similar pin guide at the opposite end providing support forthe contact pins 13 as they exit the connector channels and form a rightangle in entering the Mother 21 at points 20, 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, and 20d.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a connector module2000 that includes a plurality of connector assemblies 10 of FIG. 20.Connectors 10 are arranged horizontally. Note that a differentorientation of the connector stacking is shown as vertical in FIG. 5,and individually as shown in FIG. 2. Connector module 2000 includesreceptacle 22 with a plurality of second contact pins 23. Note thatbehind each contact pin 23 (in the direction into the paper) are contactpins 23 a, 23 b, 23 c and 23 d that are not seen in the FIG. 7cross-sectional view. Thus, connector module 2000 includes an array ofcontact pins with contact pins 23, 23 a, 23 b, 23 c and 23 d making upeach row. Likewise, connector module 2000 includes a plurality ofcontact pins 13, wherein behind each connector pin 13 are contact pins13 a, 13 b, 13 c and 13 d, thus forming an array of contact pins,wherein each row in the array in includes contact pins 13, 13 a, 13 b,13 c and 13 d. The first and second contact pins in each array makeelectrical contact with one another (e.g., matingly engage one another)when the connector assemblies 10 and the receptacle 22 are broughttogether. Connector module 2000 allows for a large number of connectionsto be made, e.g., between a plurality of IPCBs 14 and a backplane (notshown).

Extruded Housing with a Single Channel

FIGS. 22A and 22B are perspective views of a extruded connector housing11 according to the present invention, wherein the housing includes asingle channel 12. In one example embodiment (FIG. 22A), channel 12includes an insulating layer 1502, while in another example embodiment(FIG. 22B), there is no insulating layer. These example embodimentsapply as described above except that there is a single contact pin 13, asingle pin guide 18, etc.

The many features and advantages of the present invention are apparentfrom the detailed specification, and thus it is intended by the appendedclaims to cover all such features and advantages of the describedapparatus that follow the true spirit and scope of the invention.Furthermore, since the numerous modifications and changes will readilyoccur to those of skill in the art, it is not desired to limit theinvention to the exact construction and operation described herein.Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the appendedclaims.

1. A connector apparatus, comprising: a metallic extruded housing havinga one or more connector channels formed therein during extrusion, saidconnector channels having first and second ends and channel walls; oneor more pin guides each with a central aperture and each operativelycoupled to a corresponding channel; and one or more spaced apart firstelectrical contact pins that are held within the connector channels andaway from the channel walls at the first end and by the pin guides atthe second end so that air in the channels electrically insulates thecontact pins from the extruded metal housing.
 2. The connector apparatusof claim 1, wherein the one or more spaced apart first electricalcontact pins are part of an intermediate printed circuit board (IPCB).3. The connector apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the one or moreelectrical contact pins is a grounding pin that grounds to the extrudedhousing.
 4. The connector apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more butnot all of the channel walls include an insulating layer.
 5. Theconnector apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pin guides are part of aunitary pin guide assembly.
 6. A connector module comprising: aplurality of the connector apparatuses of claim 1; a receptacle having aplurality of second contact pins corresponding to the plurality of firstcontact pins; and wherein the receptacle is adapted to engage theplurality of connector apparatus by the second contact pins passingthrough the corresponding openings in the mating guides and electricallycontacting the first contact pins when the receptacle and the pluralityof connector apparatuses are brought together.
 7. The connector moduleof claim 6, wherein the second contact pins pass through openings in thepin guide assembly and matingly engage the first contact pins.
 8. Amethod of establishing an electrical connection between a first set ofone or more contact pins and a corresponding second set of one or morecontact pins, the method comprising: providing a metallic extrudedhousing having one or more connector channels formed therein duringextrusion, said one or more connector channels having first and secondends and channel walls; supporting the first set of contact pins withincorresponding channels and away from the channel walls at the firstchannel ends and at the second channel ends using corresponding pinguides at the second channel ends; inserting the second set of contactpins as mating pins through corresponding apertures in the pin guides soas to establish electrical contact with the first set of contact pinswithin each channel; and wherein air in the channels electricallyinsulates the first and second set of contact pins from the extrudedmetal housing.
 9. The method of claim 8, including forming an insulatinglayer within one or more of but not all of the channels.
 10. The methodof claim 8, including making one or more of the first connector pins asa grounding pin, wherein the grounding pin is grounded to the housing.